Where have all the tennis shoes gone? 

I play a lot of tennis and thought I'd do an internet search on tennis shoes. You know, just to keep up on their latest and greatest designs and features. I've always believed that tennis shoes are the most important piece of tennis equipment. After all, you can't play well if your feet hurt!

I was very surprised with the results of my search. The #1 result took me to a large internet retailer which proclaimed "Huge Selection of Tennis Shoes". I clicked on the link and the next thing I knew I was staring at a pair of cross-training "sneakers". This was followed by about 595 shoes, of which at least the first 100 had nothing to do with tennis! There were athletic shoes, running shoes, walking shoes, sandals, and, yes--even combat boots! I guess the term "tennis shoes" has become more generic than ever since the internet explosion. Just like "Xerox" means "copy".

I propose that we, the tennis playing population, demand that only shoes designed for playing tennis be referred to as tennis shoes! To qualify, these shoes must have the following criteria: 1) they have been tested and approved by actual tennis players prior to release to the public; 2) they address the special needs of tennis players, i.e., lateral support, long-wearing soles, sufficient cushioning & cooling, and, of course, LOOK GREAT! 3) they have non-marking soles (tennis courts must appear neat & clean) and 4)they are reasonably priced--not like some of the astronomical pricing on running or other specialty shoes.

Maybe, just maybe, in the near future when I look for tennis shoes on the internet, REAL tennis shoes will actually be at the top of the list!!

Gotta go now--grab my tennis shoes and go for a walk!